Design Manual
Project Delivery Memos / Design Bulletins / Individual Chapters / Revision History
The Design Manual provides policies, procedures, and methods for developing and documenting the design of improvements to the transportation network in Washington. It has been developed for state facilities and may not be appropriate for all county roads or city streets that are not state highways.
Design Manual update information
Latest Design Manual revision package
September 2022 M 22-01.21 (PDF 44MB)
Design Bulletins
Design Bulletin 2022-02 - Complete Streets Process for Fish Passage (PDF 364KB)
Design Bulletin 2022-01 - Designing for Level of Traffic Stress (PDF 661KB)
Design Bulletin 2021-01 - Design Documentation File Name Convention and Archiving (PDF 183KB)
Design Bulletin 2020-01 - Roadside Safety on Fish Passage Projects (PDF 728KB)
Individual chapters
Foreword (PDF 222KB)
Instructions and form for Design Manual comments and revision suggestions (PDF 832KB)
Contents (PDF 383KB)
Division 1 – General Information
Chapter 100 Manual Description (PDF 162KB)
Chapter 110 Design-Build Projects (PDF 178KB)
Division 2 – Hearings, Environmental, and Permits
Chapter 210 Public Involvement and Hearings (PDF 606KB)
Chapter 225 Environmental Coordination (PDF 109KB)
Division 3 – Project Documentation
Chapter 300 Design Documentation, Approval, and Process Review (PDF 313KB)
Chapter 301 Design Maintenance Coordination (PDF 2.84MB)
Chapter 305 Project Management (PDF 177KB)
Chapter 310 Value Engineering (PDF 309KB)
Chapter 320 Traffic Analysis (PDF 234KB)
Chapter 321 Sustainable Safety Analysis (PDF 159KB)
Division 4 – Surveying
Chapter 400 Surveying and Mapping (PDF 570KB)
Chapter 410 Monumentation (PDF 245KB)
Division 5 – Right of Way and Access Control
Chapter 510 Right of Way Considerations (PDF 176KB)
Chapter 520 Access Control (PDF 176KB)
Chapter 530 Limited Access Control (PDF 875KB)
Chapter 540 Managed Access Control (PDF 238KB)
Chapter 550 Freeway Access Revision (PDF 364KB)
Chapter 560 Fencing (PDF 259KB)
Division 6 – Soils and Paving
Chapter 610 Investigation of Soils, Rock, and Surfacing Materials (PDF 157KB)
Chapter 620 Design of Pavement Structure (PDF 612KB)
Chapter 630 Geosynthetics (PDF 31.1MB)
Division 7 – Structures
Chapter 700 Project Development Roles and Responsibilities for Projects With Structures (PDF 103KB)
Chapter 710 Site Data for Structures (PDF 163KB)
Chapter 720 Bridges (PDF 355KB)
Chapter 730 Retaining Walls and Steep Reinforced Slopes (PDF 1.1MB)
Chapter 740 Noise Barriers (PDF 353KB)
Division 8 – Hydraulics
Division 9 – Roadside Development
Chapter 900 Roadsides (PDF 120KB)
Chapter 950 Public Art (PDF 370KB)
Division 10 – Traffic Safety Elements
Chapter 1010 Work Zone Safety and Mobility (PDF 455KB)
Chapter 1020 Signing (PDF 225KB)
Chapter 1030 Delineation (PDF 381KB)
Chapter 1040 Illumination (PDF 1.36MB)
Chapter 1050 Intelligent Transportation Systems (PDF 1.2MB)
Chapter 1060 Worker Fall Protection (PDF 454KB)
Division 11 – Practical Design
Chapter 1100 Practical Design (PDF 465KB)
Chapter 1101 Need Identification (PDF 141KB)
Chapter 1102 Context Determination (PDF 500KB)
Chapter 1103 Design Control Selection (PDF 356KB)
Chapter 1104 Alternatives Analysis (PDF 115KB)
Chapter 1105 Design Element Selection (PDF 127KB)
Chapter 1106 Design Element Dimensions (PDF 125KB)
Chapter 1120 Preservation Projects (PDF 258KB)
Chapter 1130 Development Services (PDF 622KB)
Division 12 – Geometrics
Chapter 1210 Geometric Plan Elements (PDF 320KB)
Chapter 1220 Geometric Profile Elements (PDF 296KB)
Chapter 1230 Geometric Cross Section Basics (PDF 2.4MB)
Chapter 1231 Geometric Cross Section - Highways (PDF 320KB)
Chapter 1232 Geometric Cross Section - Freeways (PDF 450KB)
Chapter 1238 Geometric Cross Section - Streetside and Parking (PDF 400KB)
Chapter 1239 Geometric Cross Section - Shoulders, Side Slopes, Curbs, and Medians (PDF 400KB)
Chapter 1240 Turning Roadways (PDF 204KB)
Chapter 1250 Cross Slope and Superelevation (PDF 364KB)
Chapter 1260 Sight Distance (PDF 851MB)
Chapter 1270 Auxiliary Lanes (PDF 432KB)
Division 13 – Intersections and Interchanges
Chapter 1300 Intersection Control Type (PDF 1.4MB)
Chapter 1310 Intersections (PDF 771KB)
Chapter 1320 Roundabouts (PDF 2.6MB)
Chapter 1330 Traffic Control Signals (PDF 1.5MB)
Chapter 1340 Driveways (PDF 487KB)
Chapter 1350 Railroad Grade Crossings (PDF 830KB)
Chapter 1360 Interchanges (PDF 1.1MB)
Chapter 1370 Median Crossovers (PDF 99KB)
Division 14 – Managed Lanes
Chapter 1400 Managed Lanes (PDF 567KB)
Chapter 1410 High-Occupancy Vehicle Facilities (PDF 576KB)
Chapter 1420 HOV Direct Access (PDF 1.5MB)
Chapter 1430 Part-Time Shoulder (PDF 1.1MB)
Chapter 1440 Metered Shoulder (PDF 1.1MB)
Division 15 – Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities
Chapter 1510 Pedestrian Facilities (PDF 1.7MB)
Chapter 1515 Shared-Use Paths (PDF 2.3MB)
Chapter 1520 Roadway Bicycle Facilities (PDF 1.1MB)
Division 16 – Roadside Safety Elements
Chapter 1600 Roadside Safety (PDF 615KB)
Chapter 1610 Traffic Barriers (PDF 1.3MB)
Chapter 1620 Impact Attenuator Systems (PDF 1.8MB)
Division 17 – Roadside Facilities
Chapter 1710 Safety Rest Areas and Traveler Services (PDF 761KB)
Chapter 1720 Weigh Sites (PDF 2.3MB)
Chapter 1730 Transit Facilities (PDF 1.1MB)
Revision History
M 22-01.21
M 22-01.20
M 22-01.19
M 22-01.18
M 22-01.17
M 22-01.16
M 22-01.15
M 22-01.14
M 22-01.13
M 22-01.12
M 22-01.11
M 22-01.10
- July 2013 complete manual (PDF 33.0MB)
- July 2013 revision package (PDF 11.8MB)
- December 2013 Supplement (PDF 33.0MB)
M 22-01.09
M 22-01.08
- July 2011 complete manual (PDF 30.1MB)
- July 2011 revision package (PDF 7.6MB)
- August 2011 supplement (PDF 760KB)
- March 2012 supplement (PDF 1.6MB)
M 22-01.07
M 22-01.06
M 22-01.05
M 22-01.04
M 22-01.03
M 22-01.02
M 22-01.01
- May 2007 complete manual (PDF 29.3MB)
- May 2007 revision package (PDF 5.6MB)
- August 2007 supplement (PDF 628KB)
November 2006
June 2006
June 2005
May 2004
December 2003
May 2003
September 2002
December 2002
February 2002
May 2001
May 2000
Slow down – lives are on the line.
In 2022, speeding continued to be a top reason for work zone crashes.
Even one life lost is too many.
Each year about 670 people are killed nationally in highway work zones. In 2022, Washington had six fatal work zone crashes on state roads.
It's in EVERYONE’S best interest.
95% of people hurt in work zones are drivers, their passengers or passing pedestrians, not just our road crews.